KUALA LUMPUR: The ideology and doctrine that Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) has deeply and continuously instilled in its members over the years are among the factors that make it difficult to completely “cleanse” the beliefs practised by the group.
Dr Ahmad El Muhammady, an Assistant Professor at the International Institute of Islamic Thought and Civilisation (ISTAC-IIUM), said this has resulted in there being remnants of the aspects of belief or group members that still exist today.
The counter-terrorism expert said JI, described as the most sophisticated terrorist organisation in the region, has an organised structure with highly sophisticated financial management and recruitment processes and is more advanced compared to newer terrorist groups.
“If we compare with these recent groups like ISIS and Daesh, they cannot match JI. JI is a group that has very high discipline. In terms of the organisation, we can eliminate it and so on.
“But it is very difficult to eliminate their thinking, so the ideology still exists, either in the form of writing, which is understood and believed by some former members of this group,” he said as a guest on Bernama TV’s ‘Malaysia Petang Ini’ programme titled “Serangan Balai Polis Ulu Tiram: Bahaya Ideologi Ekstremis” (Ulu Tiram Police Station Attack: Dangers of Extremist Ideology).
Meanwhile, Professor of International Relations, Security, and Law Department at the National Defence University of Malaysia (UPNM) Prof Dr Mohd Mizan Mohammad Aslam said that the incident in Ulu Tiram, Johor today is evidence that the ideology of JI still exists among the community, especially in the area concerned.
“We can imprison someone physically, but mentally that person is still free and can accept various ideologies. It is very difficult for us to eradicate the extremist ideologies that exist among groups and individuals.
“We also have to understand that this extreme ideology is no longer exported on a large scale, but today it can be exported individually and many have become lone-wolf terrorists, those who become extreme and violent due to indoctrination through social media,” he said as a guest on Bernama TV’s ‘Ruang Bicara’ programme titled “Subuh Berdarah di Ulu Tiram”.
Retired Senior Police Officers’ Association Of Malaysia (RESPA) president Datuk Meor Chek Hussein Mahayuddin said, in the same programme, that education, prevention and monitoring programmes in schools on the issue of extremism should be taught from an early age.
“I think the time has come for us to be a bit more rigid on the issue of terrorism, we cannot be negligent, otherwise this thinking will spread to young people who want something they want to fight for, in terms of religion or terrorist groups,” he said.
In the 2.45 am incident today, three people were confirmed dead, namely two 22-year-old police personnel and the 21-year-old suspect, while another policeman was injured.
The male assailant who was gunned down is believed to be a member of JI and a raid was subsequently also carried out at the suspect’s house in Ulu Tiram where five members of his family aged 19 to 62 were arrested. – Bernama
